Danielle Spencer, Known for Role as Dee on "What’s Happening!!", Has Died at Age 60

If you grew up in the 70s or binge-watched retro sitcoms, chances are you remember the pint-sized sass machine known as Dee Thomas from What’s Happening!! That girl with the side-eyes sharper than a chef’s knife? That was Danielle Spencer, and sadly, the world just lost a TV legend. The actress and real-life vet (yes, that kind of vet) has passed away at 60, leaving behind more than just a legacy of punchlines and sitcom side comments.

Sure, Danielle Spencer will always be best known as the hilariously blunt little sister on What’s Happening!!, a sitcom that helped redefine Black television in the 1970s. But Spencer didn’t stop at child stardom. After surviving a tragic car accident in her teens that left her in a coma, she did something most former child stars don’t even dream about. She became a veterinarian.

In between animal surgeries and TV guest spots, she beat breast cancer, endured spinal injuries, and even had emergency brain surgery — all while keeping that same sarcastic spark fans loved her for.

On August 11, 2025, Danielle Spencer died after a long battle with cancer, surrounded by loved ones. Her former co-stars, including Haywood Nelson, paid tribute to her strength, spirit, and unfiltered wit. No surprise there. Dee was never one to sugarcoat things.

Danielle wasn’t just a sitcom star. She was a trailblazer, one of the first Black female child actors to hold her own on a major network show. In 2014, the Smithsonian gave her flowers — literally — by inducting her into the National Museum of African American History and Culture. She’s also one of the few TV kids who didn’t spiral. Instead, she used her fame to help animals and tell her story in the memoir Through the Fire.

Whether you remember her as Dee or Dr. Spencer, Danielle Spencer lived one heck of a life. She was funny, fierce, and totally fearless. Her death at 60 is a blow, but her impact? Still going strong.

So go ahead, rewatch What’s Happening!!, drop a “Ooooh I’m gonna tell Mama” in her honor, and let’s remember a woman who never stopped keeping it real.

Rest in power, Dee. You told it like it was.

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